Refrigerator car construction



JUY15, 1941- K. E. zElDLl-:R' 2,249,102

EFIGERATOR CAR 'CONSTRUCTION I y Filed Oct; 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NQN July 15, 1941.-

REFRIGERATOR CRv CONSTRUCTION Filed oct. 13, 193s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 yA//myg Patented July 15, 1941 REFRIGRATR CAR CONSTRUCTION.

Kurt E. zeisier, Pittsburgh, Pa.,

Standard Railway 'Refrigerator Company, cago, lll., a corporation'ofDelaware Application october. 13, 1938, semi No. 234,807

assgnor to Chicooling means for use in warm weather or a heating meansfor use in cold weather..v

The invention relates particularly to cars of the Y overhead bunker typein which refrigerant containers are suspended immediately below theroof. A common type of overhead bunker car has enclosures around thecontainers to formrrerigerant compartments, said compartments havingopenings near the tops thereof for the entrance of warm air and near thebottom thereof for the discharge of cooled air. The cooled air flowsdownwardly through vertical flues which communicate with said dischargeopenings, the cooled air flowing to a space under the ocr rack fromwhich it may circulate upwardly through the lading. Y A

The object of this invention is to provide a light, strong refrigerantcontainer which, to a certain extent, forms itsown supporting means.Since the refrigerant containers in a car of this type are near the topof the car, it is important that the containers be as light as possibleso as not to raise the center of gravity of the car unnecessarily. Butthe large weight of ice which shifts in the containers during servicemovements of the car requires that the containers be strong. To meetthese severe requirements of great strength and light weight, I haveinvented a construction wherein some of the container walls function asbeams supported by the car structure. The other walls and the bottom ofthe container are supported by said beams, thus eliminating thenecessity of having an additional truss or other means to support thecontainers.

Another object of the invention is to use the roof and walls of the carto support the containers and to insulate the containers from the eX-terior of the car so as not to impair the insulation eiciency thereof.It is a further object of the invention to provide means of supportwhich are readily accessible so that the containers may be easilyremoved for service and repair work.

Other advantages of my invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description by referring to the drawings'.

Fig. l is a partial transverse section of a refrigerator car, the lefthalf being on line IL-IL and the right half on line lR-IR of Fig. 2'.The insulation has been omitted for clarity.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown Figs. 1 and 2, the roof andside wall insulation having been omitted.

The parts of the refrigerator car shown in Fig. l are side plates 2,side sheathing 3, side lining 4, ceiling 5, roof 3, running board l,hatch frame 8 surrounding the hatch 9, refrigerant containers l0, drippans l l and false walls I2 which provide the flues i3 for flow ofair'and melted refrigerant to the lower part of the car.

The side 2li of a refrigerant container l0 nearest the center of the caris shown constructed of an upper chord 2| and a lower chord 22 connectedby struts 23. The diagonal braces 2Q are positioned so that the side 20functions as a truss supported at two points, namely, the brackets 25.Anglev clips 26 are shown to connect the upper chord 2| to the brackets25. The sidef20 of the container l0 is then a simple beam suspendedbetween the brackets 25 and having a cantilever beam projecting fromeach end thereof.

The roof 6 preferably comprises a plurality'of sheets 33 extendingtransversely of the car between the side plates 2 and having upstandingflanges 3i at the edges thereof. vSeam caps 32 which overlie the flanges3| and are secured thereto also extend between the side plates .2 andpartially support `the roof. Saddles 33 are secured to the seam caps 32and support the running board 1. Vertically disposed plates 34 havinghorizontal' flangesV 35 are positioned between some of the flanges 3land attached preferably by rivets 3l which secured the anges 3l to theseam caps 32. Wooden blocks 36 rest upon the flanges 35 and are securedto the plates 34 by horizontal bolts 38. The brackets 25 areV suspendedfrom the blocks 36 by the vertically disposed bolts 33, bolts 38 beingarranged in stag-N gered relationV to the, bolts 39 to insulate thebrackets 25 from the roof v6.

The side 5B of the container I0 nearestthe side wall comprises an upperchord 5I, a lower chord.

52 and spaced apart vertical connecting members 53, preferably Z shapedmembers. Insulating pieces 54, preferably wood stringers, may be securedto the vertical frame members 55. Bolts 56 through the members 53 andthe pieces y54 rigidly secure the side 50 of the container to Vthe sidewall of the car. The side 50, therefore, functions as a beam supportedbythe several spaced' apart members 53.

The bottom of the container consists of a rplurality ofV invertedchannel shaped members 60 supported by the lower chords 22 and 52 of thesidesiZU and U. The ends 6I of the container are also supported by thesides 20 and 50.

Although the side 50 is shown supported from the side wall of the car,it could also be supported from the roof in the manner shown for side 20if desired. It is intended that this construction be considered part ofmy invention.

'I'he refrigerant containers I0 are shown with foraminous sides andbottom. 'I'he invention should not be limited to this construction butincludes containers having the lower part im perforate and alsocontainers having all walls imperforate for the retention of a liquidrefrigerant or dry ice.

It should not be construed that my invention is limited to containershaving the walls formed of trusses. For example, the construction showncould be adapted to containers having their walls functioning asgirders. I claim as my invention any construction in which the walls ofthe containers are beams supported at spaced apart positions.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of theinvention, though it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as itis obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of theclaims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having a roof comprised of metallic outersheets and insulating lining, a metallic member depending from saidsheets and disposed entirely in the space between said outer sheets andsaid lining, an insulating piece attached to said metallic member,pliable insulation in said space, a refrigerant container below saidlining, and means extending through said lining to attach said containerto said insulating piece.

2. In a refrigerator car having a wall and a roof, a refrigerantcontainer below said roof and adjacent said wall in spaced relationthereto, spaced apart members extending between and secured to said walland the side of the container adjacent thereto, spaced apart bracketsdepending from said roof andrsecured to the opposite side of saidcontainer, the end of said container extending between and secured tosaid sides, said sides functioning as `beams supported by said membersand said brackets, said container being constructed and arranged so thatsaid beams form the sole support for the container and the contentsthereof.

3. In a refrigerator car having a wall and a roof, a refrigerantcontainer below said roof and adjacent said Wall in spaced relationthereto, spaced apart members disposed remote from the ends of saidcontainer extending between and secured to said wall and the side of thecontainer adjacent thereto and spaced apart brackets depending from saidroof and secured to the opposite side of said container remote from theends thereof, the ends of said container extending between and securedto said sides, said sides functioning as beams supported by said membersand said brackets, said container being constructed and arranged so thatsaid beams form the sole support for the container and the contentsthereof.

4. In a refrigerator ear having a wall and a roof, a refrigerantcontainer below said roof and adjacent said Wall in spaced relationthereto, spaced apart members extending between and secured to said walland the side of the container adjacent thereto, means to direct a flowof air in contact with said container, said container being arranged sothat some of said air flows through the space between said wall and saidside and spaced apart brackets depending from said roof and secured tothe opposite side of said container, the ends of said containerextending between and secured to said sides, said sides functioning asbeams supported by said members and said brackets, said container beingconstructed and arranged so that said beams form the sole support forthe container and the contents thereof.

5. In a refrigerator car having a roof and a wall, a refrigerantcontainer below said roof and adjacent said wall in spaced relationthereto, the side of said container adjacent said wall comprising spacedapart substantially horizontal upper and lower chords, spaced apartconnecting members extending between said chords, and foraminoussheeting secured to said chords and connecting members, certain of saidconnecting members being secured to said wall so that said sidefunctions as a beam arranged to support said container and the contentsthereof.

KURT E. ZEIDLER.

